Read Online The Lawman's Legacy (Love Inspired Suspense) by Shirlee McCoy - Free Book Online
Authors: Shirlee McCoy
Ads: Link
terrified, and he wanted to know why.
“You can’t keep lying forever. Whatever you’re hiding, it’s going to come out eventually,” he said casually, and the color drained from her face.
“I think I need to sit down.” And, she did. No fanfare. No walk to a chair. Just straight down onto a step.
“ I think—” he crouched down so they were eye to eye “—that you need to tell me what’s going on.”
“I didn’t eat dinner or lunch. Maybe my blood sugar dropped.”
“Pretending ignorance isn’t going to keep me from pushing for the truth.” But she looked awfully pale, her skin completely leached of color, her eyes dark against the pallor. He pressed his palm against the back of her neck, urging her head down toward her knees.
Soft warm skin.
Soft silky hair.
Soft sweet Merry, and all her lies and secrets.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, and he sighed, his knuckles skimming her cheek as he backed away.
“Me, too. Sorry that you don’t trust me enough to tell me why you’re so scared.”
“It’s not about trust.”
“Then what is it about?”
“Nothing that has to do with your murder investigation.” She stood, some of the color returning to her face, her arms still tight around her son.
“The investigation isn’t the only thing I’m concerned about, Merry. I’m concerned about you.”
“Don’t be.”
“I’m not sure I have a choice.”
“We all have choices.”
“Then I guess I’m choosing to be concerned.”
“I’d rather you choose something else.” She smiled, but it didn’t hide the sadness in her eyes.
“You never did tell me why things weren’t working out between us.”
“I don’t think this is a good time to discuss it. I have to get him back to bed.” She touched Tyler’s hair, walked up the stairs.
She was right.
This wasn’t a good time to discuss their relationship.
Or their lack of a relationship.
“Bye, Mr. Policeman.” Tyler waved as Merry carried him into his room, the sleeve of his pajamas falling back to reveal a half-dollar-size mark on his wrist. A bruise? No. The mark was raised. Like a ridged scar.
A burn?
That’s what it looked like, but Merry disappeared inside Tyler’s room too quickly for Douglas to get a better look.
Douglas didn’t think she’d be coming out anytime soon.
She was done answering questions, but he wasn’t done asking them.
Douglas pulled up his hood and stepped into the frigid morning. Deep clouds covered the waning moon and the wind blew snow across his path as he joined his father at the edge of the yard. “See anything that might help?”
“Just what you probably already spotted. Footprints. Size eleven or twelve shoe. Looks like a running shoe. Not a boot. I took a few pictures and I’m trying to cast one of the prints. We’ll see if it takes in this weather. If it doesn’t, the prints will be gone before the weather clears.” Aiden sounded more like himself than he had all day. Confident, self-assured. That was what Douglas expected his father to be. It’s what he’d grown up seeing.
“How about prints?”
“Haven’t dusted yet. I thought I’d leave that to you.”
“Do you think this is connected to Olivia’s murder?” Douglas asked as he pulled an evidence kit from his SUV.
“What do you think?”
“It’s a stretch to believe it isn’t.”
“Yet the fingerprints we were able to match from the apartment belonged to a woman and Merry saw a man standing outside her house. So, maybe we are dealing with two unrelated crimes.” Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, obviously tired and frustrated.
“There were other prints at the apartment we weren’t able to match, Dad. There’s every possibility that the prints we pull tonight will match up with one of them.”
“I’m not sure if that will make things better or worse. Connected crimes or random, we still have a murderer to find. Did you put in a call to Boston P.D.? Maybe they have some information about Lila
“You can’t keep lying forever. Whatever you’re hiding, it’s going to come out eventually,” he said casually, and the color drained from her face.
“I think I need to sit down.” And, she did. No fanfare. No walk to a chair. Just straight down onto a step.
“ I think—” he crouched down so they were eye to eye “—that you need to tell me what’s going on.”
“I didn’t eat dinner or lunch. Maybe my blood sugar dropped.”
“Pretending ignorance isn’t going to keep me from pushing for the truth.” But she looked awfully pale, her skin completely leached of color, her eyes dark against the pallor. He pressed his palm against the back of her neck, urging her head down toward her knees.
Soft warm skin.
Soft silky hair.
Soft sweet Merry, and all her lies and secrets.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, and he sighed, his knuckles skimming her cheek as he backed away.
“Me, too. Sorry that you don’t trust me enough to tell me why you’re so scared.”
“It’s not about trust.”
“Then what is it about?”
“Nothing that has to do with your murder investigation.” She stood, some of the color returning to her face, her arms still tight around her son.
“The investigation isn’t the only thing I’m concerned about, Merry. I’m concerned about you.”
“Don’t be.”
“I’m not sure I have a choice.”
“We all have choices.”
“Then I guess I’m choosing to be concerned.”
“I’d rather you choose something else.” She smiled, but it didn’t hide the sadness in her eyes.
“You never did tell me why things weren’t working out between us.”
“I don’t think this is a good time to discuss it. I have to get him back to bed.” She touched Tyler’s hair, walked up the stairs.
She was right.
This wasn’t a good time to discuss their relationship.
Or their lack of a relationship.
“Bye, Mr. Policeman.” Tyler waved as Merry carried him into his room, the sleeve of his pajamas falling back to reveal a half-dollar-size mark on his wrist. A bruise? No. The mark was raised. Like a ridged scar.
A burn?
That’s what it looked like, but Merry disappeared inside Tyler’s room too quickly for Douglas to get a better look.
Douglas didn’t think she’d be coming out anytime soon.
She was done answering questions, but he wasn’t done asking them.
Douglas pulled up his hood and stepped into the frigid morning. Deep clouds covered the waning moon and the wind blew snow across his path as he joined his father at the edge of the yard. “See anything that might help?”
“Just what you probably already spotted. Footprints. Size eleven or twelve shoe. Looks like a running shoe. Not a boot. I took a few pictures and I’m trying to cast one of the prints. We’ll see if it takes in this weather. If it doesn’t, the prints will be gone before the weather clears.” Aiden sounded more like himself than he had all day. Confident, self-assured. That was what Douglas expected his father to be. It’s what he’d grown up seeing.
“How about prints?”
“Haven’t dusted yet. I thought I’d leave that to you.”
“Do you think this is connected to Olivia’s murder?” Douglas asked as he pulled an evidence kit from his SUV.
“What do you think?”
“It’s a stretch to believe it isn’t.”
“Yet the fingerprints we were able to match from the apartment belonged to a woman and Merry saw a man standing outside her house. So, maybe we are dealing with two unrelated crimes.” Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, obviously tired and frustrated.
“There were other prints at the apartment we weren’t able to match, Dad. There’s every possibility that the prints we pull tonight will match up with one of them.”
“I’m not sure if that will make things better or worse. Connected crimes or random, we still have a murderer to find. Did you put in a call to Boston P.D.? Maybe they have some information about Lila
Similar Books
